


Chronic Cuddler

by bumblebeecrown



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 08:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17525030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblebeecrown/pseuds/bumblebeecrown
Summary: Nate's back on the Waverider and has trouble sleeping. Ray helps.





	Chronic Cuddler

**Author's Note:**

> I'm steelatom trash and I love a good bed sharing fic, so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Nate couldn’t sleep. He was glad to be back on the Waverider, he really was, but he couldn’t remember if it had always been this  _ loud _ in the vortex of time.

 

“Hey, Gideon?”

 

“Yes, Dr. Heywood?”

 

“Any chance you could be a little quieter doing...whatever you’re doing up there?”

 

“If you mean maintaining the engines, time drive, and life support systems while withstanding the forces of space and time all around us, then unfortunately I cannot. May I suggest earplugs?”

 

Nate sighed. “No thanks. I guess I’ll just have to get used to it. Again.” That, and his feet, which were currently frozen. Apparently he had also forgotten how cold the ship was. Dragging the blanket around him, he sat up in bed. A quick glance at his clock told him the Waverider’s internal time was just before 3 a.m. “Might as well go do some research,” he mumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eye. He got up and stretched, then ran a hand through his hair. It didn’t have its usual pomade in it, but who would see it at this hour anyway. As an afterthought, he grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around himself before heading to the library.

 

The hallways were too quiet compared to the noise that had kept him awake in his room. Nate walked lightly, trying not to wake the others as he passed their rooms. The Waverider had felt like home to him for so long, but since Amaya and his stay at the Time Bureau, it seemed almost foreign to him. With Charlie joining up, Amaya’s absence was more pronounced; despite being away, he still found it hard to reconcile Amaya’s face with Charlie’s rowdy personality. Nate had been trying to avoid her as much as possible. Even more strange was seeing how seamlessly the team worked without him. He often felt as though he was watching from the outside, and although Sara and the others never outright excluded him, there was still an awkward sense of trying to fit back into a hole that had already been filled.

 

Suddenly, there was a clattering and a soft “crap!”. Nate startled out of his thoughts. “Ray?” he asked, walking toward the lab.

 

Ray poked his head out, instantly brightening when he saw Nate. “Oh, hey Nate! What brings you over to this corner of the ship at, um...three in the morning?”

 

Nate shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. It’s weird, but I guess I forgot how cold it is in the vacuum of space.”

 

“Oh, right. Well, I always have Gideon fabricate an extra couple of blankets myself. Can’t save the world from magic fugitives if you didn’t get a good night’s sleep, as they say! Speaking of which, I better get cleaned up…” He led Nate into the lab, where Mick’s heat gun was smoking slightly and parts were scattered across the floor.

 

“Why are you up, then? Couldn’t sleep either?”

 

“Nah, I just lost track of time. I had this idea about magically modifying the heat gun so it would work on a fugitive we were after a couple weeks ago. I’ve been trying to put it back to normal but it keeps backfiring. I’ll just get John to look at it later.”

 

“Right. Well, I won’t keep you then,” Nate said. “I’m just gonna head to the library, catch up on my magical knowledge.”

 

“Oh, okay. Well, if you want, you could sleep with me. Um! That is. I mean, sleep with me in my room. Because of the cold.” Ray turned red, fumbling with his lab materials.

 

“Oh. That sounds okay. I’d love to snuggle for warmth, bro. If you’re sure?”

 

“Well, yeah,” said Ray, with a helpless shrug. His eyes softened. “I remember after I got stranded in the fifties for two years how hard it was to readjust to living on a timeship. It helped to be with someone at night. I mean we were also engaged at that time, so.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t think you ever told me who it was you dated on the ship. It couldn’t have been Sara? I still don’t think you’re her type. Also, engaged? You have to tell me this story, bro.”

 

* * *

 

“Well, make yourself at home,” said Ray. Nate looked around. Ray’s room hadn’t changed much since he had last been on the Waverider. His movie collection still occupied the corner by a small TV. There was also his desk, covered in messy stacks of notes and blueprints, along with several quantum physics books and a couple of trashy romance novels. The wall beside his bed bore a poster of Singin’ in the Rain.

 

“Still as cozy as I remember,” said Nate with a grin, dropping onto the bed.

 

Ray had gone still, staring at Nate, his ears turning faintly pink. “Uh, yeah. Anyway. Um.” He turned to change. Nate’s grin widened when he saw Ray’s Green Arrow pajamas. “Oh, shut up,” Ray grumbled without turning around.

 

“No, they’re cute! We should definitely invite Oliver over for a slumber party.”

 

“Ha ha…” Ray pulled off his shirt, and Nate’s mouth went dry. He looked away, suddenly feeling hot.  _ Calm down _ , he told himself. It wasn’t like he had never seen Ray shirtless before, but alone with him in his room, which suddenly seemed very small, in his  _ bed _ …

 

“Scooch over,” said Ray brightly, thankfully now wearing a T-shirt. He reached up to turn off the light. Nate automatically glanced at the line of skin where it rode up, the firm muscles there drawing enticing lines downward. He snapped his eyes back up as the room was engulfed in darkness.

 

“Yup. Good night!” He rolled over quickly so his back was to Ray and closed his eyes. It took him a long while to fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

Nate woke the next morning to Ray’s arm sprawled over his chest. Their legs tangled together under the covers, and Ray’s soft, warm breaths tickled his neck. Panicked, Nate carefully extricated himself and made his way outside. He closed the door behind him, quietly as possible, and turned to walk right into Mick.

 

“Huh,” said Mick, looking from Nate to Nate’s hand on Ray’s doorknob. Nate cringed inwardly.

 

“Look, Mick--”

 

“You and Haircut, huh? Finally.” Mick rolled his eyes, already walking away.

 

“No, it’s not -- Mick! Ugh.”

 

(At breakfast, he pointedly avoided looking at Mick’s smirk when Ray asked him how he slept. He told Ray he slept great, which, if he really thought about it, was true. Despite his, ah, distractions, it really had helped to have Ray by his side.)

 

* * *

 

They fell into a routine fairly easily after that. At nights, or whenever they had brief downtime on the ship between missions, Nate would knock on Ray’s door. Ray would let him in with his usual sunny smile, and they would watch Star Wars or My Little Pony until one of them started dozing off on the other’s shoulder. Then they would climb into bed and fall asleep making silly bets about the other Legends. At first, Nate was careful to leave a small gap between them as they lay down, but it soon became clear that Ray was a chronic cuddler. No matter what, Nate woke up in the morning to Ray curled into his side, fast asleep. Nate very determinedly Did Not Think About It and crawled out of bed every morning before Ray woke. (Some mornings were worse than others, and if Nate sometimes tiptoed off for a cold shower that didn’t fully erase dreams of that sunny smile against his throat and strong, skilled fingers running down his sides, well. He still wasn’t thinking about it. Yeah. Definitely not thinking about it.)

 

Other than that, though, it was good. It was really good. Nate was able to sleep well on most nights, and realized just how much he had missed his best friend when he was away. He found himself looking forward to the times when the two of them could just hang out together, when Ray would be endlessly bright and cheerful and affectionate. He even lingered some mornings, feeling warm in Ray’s arms, breathing in the scent of his apple blossom shampoo.

 

One night, Nate and Ray were sitting in bed, halfway through a Lord of the Rings marathon. Nate had been keeping up a running commentary, with Ray chiming in with the occasional trivia or opinion. Suddenly, Nate realized Ray’s arm had found its way across his waist, his head resting on his shoulder. Nate looked over to see that Ray had fallen asleep. His breath hitched. Ray looked beautiful just then, so peaceful and content. Before he knew he was doing it, Nate stroked a hand through his hair. Ray’s eyes fluttered open. “Mm. Nate,” he mumbled, smiling.

 

“Hey,” said Nate, suddenly wondering why he hadn’t been thinking about this. This was Ray, his best friend and the person he felt closest to on the ship, Ray who was always so open and giving and warm-hearted, Ray who had made him feel like he belonged there when the ship had felt so cold and unwelcoming. Ray who was currently wrapped around him, smiling up at him with those soft eyes. Nate’s eyes dropped to his mouth. They were so close. Nate felt a little dizzy, warmth curling low in his stomach. He was sure Ray could feel his heart racing. He leaned in, and it felt like coming home.

 

The kiss was gentle, their lips brushing for just a moment before Nate pulled away. Ray was still smiling. “I was wondering when you were going to do that,” he admitted.

 

“I--you knew? Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“Well, I thought I was pretty clear about how I felt when I invited you into my bed and cuddled with you every night,” Ray laughed.

 

Nate grinned back, feeling light and giddy. “You big jerk,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if that was bro-cuddling or. You know.”

 

“Hm,” said Ray, with a coy little smile, his gaze sliding to Nate’s lips. “Maybe this will make it clear.” Oh. When did his big-hearted softie become so smooth? Nate felt himself blushing, but couldn’t bring himself to care when Ray climbed over him to straddle his lap, leaning in to kiss him, hot and slow and sweet.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Nate woke tangled in Ray’s embrace. He smiled, pulling him closer to bury his face in his hair, and drifted back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I miss Nate being on the Waverider. I know he's having character development and stuff at the Time Bureau, but like. Bring him back to the team y'all!!


End file.
